Boulevard, CA. Not a sacrifice zone.

"It's very rare to have a hearing with so much involvement from the community, so much passion."

— Planning Commission Chair Bryan Ashman

Watch the Coverage

Read the Coverage

What's Happening

The Starlight Solar Project

The Pattern

Boulevard is becoming a sacrifice zone

Starlight Solar is not arriving in an empty desert. It would join more than a dozen industrial wind, solar, battery, and transmission projects already built, approved, or proposed in this same small corner of East County. The County doesn't dispute the concentration — they use it as the reason to approve more.

One rural community of fewer than 500 households — surrounded by an entire region's energy infrastructure.

Tap to enlarge

Read that again. The County's justification for the next project is the burden of the last one. Because we've already been asked to carry so much, they say it's acceptable to ask for more. That isn't planning — it's the textbook definition of a sacrifice zone.

Our Home

What we're standing up for

A Major Flaw in the Project

The Batteries Are Right Next To
Residents' Only Paved Evacuation Route.

If a fire blocks this route, many are trapped.

This is not a theoretical risk. It is a foreseeable, preventable catastrophe — and the County has the power to stop it.

• Battery fires cannot be extinguished with water. They burn for hours or days and release toxic gas. This Very High Fire Hazard Zone is a tinderbox.
• Jewel Valley Road is the only real way in or out. There is no reliable secondary route.
• The border wall blocks any southern escape. Residents have nowhere else to go.
• The County knows this. San Diego County is actively developing BESS fire safety guidelines, but they are not finished yet. This community is being asked to accept the risk while the rules are still being written.

In 2024, a SDG&E battery fire in Escondido forced mandatory evacuations and closed nearby schools. That was a 30 MW system. Starlight Solar's BESS is 217 MW — more than seven times larger. The County has the authority to require the batteries be relocated within the project site.

Aerial map: BESS location adjacent to Jewel Valley Rd, the sole paved evacuation route, with the border wall blocking all southern exit

Key Issues

What else is at stake

Water +

Our community relies on local groundwater in an already water-stressed region. Residents are concerned about water use during construction, potential contamination risks, and whether long-term impacts on groundwater availability and quality have been fully evaluated.

Sound & Rural Character +

Many residents moved to Boulevard for its quiet, open landscape and rural pace of life. Large industrial facilities can introduce long-term operational noise, visual impacts, and increased activity that fundamentally change the character of the community.

Wildlife & Habitat +

The project footprint overlaps with sensitive desert habitat that supports raptors, reptiles, rare plants, and migratory wildlife corridors connecting protected lands across the region. Large-scale fencing, grading, and infrastructure could fragment habitat and disrupt these ecological connections.

Dark Skies & Light +

Boulevard's extraordinary night skies are one of the defining features of the region. Industrial lighting associated with large energy infrastructure could threaten efforts to pursue International Dark Sky Community designation, like nearby Borrego Springs and Julian.

Community Safety Planning +

Critical safety documents for the battery storage system are still preliminary or incomplete, and some rely on assumptions rather than the final technology proposed for the project. Residents are asking that full safety analyses and emergency plans be completed before any permits are issued.

Fire Safety +

Boulevard sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and the project includes one of the largest battery storage systems proposed in California. Lithium battery fires can release toxic gases and may require firefighters to keep their distance and allow the system to burn out.

Take Action

Make your voice
impossible to ignore

The most powerful thing you can do right now is contact San Diego County Supervisors directly. Every call and email is logged. Every voice matters — whether you live in Boulevard or anywhere in the county.

Catch Up

Previous Meeting Recordings

Press Coverage

In the news

Our community's concerns are being heard by regional and national media. This coverage validates what residents have been saying for years — and helps build the broader coalition needed to win.

Documents & Tools

Resources for
residents & press

Our Partners

Standing together

We are proud to work alongside tribal partners, local organizations, and community leaders who share a commitment to fair treatment of our land, our water, and our people.